Who collects our waste?

Where does rubbish end up?

Rubbish from the red lid bin is taken to the
Rockdale Transfer Station and then Advanced Resource Recovery Technology Facilities at Kemps Creek and Eastern Creek. Some additional material is sent to Lucas
Heights Landfill for final disposal.

Where do recycling and garden waste end up?

Garden waste is taken to
Rockdale transfer station and then to Lucas Heights for processing.

Materials Recovery Facility and Landfill tours

Ever wondered what happens to your recyclables or general waste after collection? Council offer residents tours of either the Materials Recovery Facility(Recycling) or Landfill (General Waste) facilities, giving residents an opportunity to find out first hand how recycling and waste material are processed.

Tours are scheduled regularly, find out when the next tour is and book early to avoid disappointment. To register your interest please contact Council's Call Centre on 1300 722 542 or email council@randwick.nsw.gov.au

The waste hierarchy

The waste hierarchy is an official list of activities which gives priority to waste avoidance, material reuse and recycling.

AVOIDANCE: Buy only what you need and reduce the amount of waste produced by your household.

DISPOSAL: This is the least desirable option as items that are disposed off go straight to landfill.

All about landfills

There
are no current waste-to-landfill operations in the Randwick local government area. Domestic
rubbish collected in Randwick, including
putrescible or decomposable materials, goes via the Rockdale Transfer Station
to Landfill in Lucas
Heights. Clean-up waste,
which is solid, dry and non-putrescible, is taken to the Port Botany Transfer
Station for allocation to other types of Landfill or the appropriate recycling
facility.

Landfill
incorporating putrescible material or waste, including food and other organic
materials, ferments, and produces methane gas. Under strictly controlled
conditions, this gas can be collected, dried, filtered, burned and transformed
into electricity. While such an operation provides some resource savings and
reduces the release of greenhouse gas, it is expensive and remains a less
preferred waste option.

In
general, waste disposal in Landfill is environmentally costly and few
accessible sites remain in the Sydney
metropolitan area. Landfill disposal costs will continue to rise. While
Landfill has a part to play in future waste management, it is believed that
present dependence can be reduced through waste management planning, new
technology and greater consumer awareness and care.